Events are an integral part of our life and depending on the occasion, some events are private or closed group events, while others are public. Our life is incomplete without these events, whether it is professional or personal life. Also, events play a crucial role in socialising. One can meet new people at events. And regardless of the occasion, there are high chances that you can make new contacts. Whereas for corporates, these new contacts can be potential customers, investors or employees.
Last year due to the pandemic, the lockdown was imposed all over the world and social gatherings were restricted. This resulted in cancelling of events. While other events were postponed for an indefinite period. However, many events went online. And we saw virtual events filling this void. As a result, we saw various kinds of virtual events. From virtual conferences, virtual trade shows to the virtual fest and virtual fairs, the list goes on and on.
Virtual events in India
Just like everywhere, virtual events also became popular in India. According to Grand View Research’s report, the market size of virtual events worldwide is valued at $77.98 billion in 2019. And it is projected to cross the $404 billion, with a CAGR of 23.2% from 2020 to 2027. The reason behind this is ever increasing demand for virtual events.
The report also states that the Asia Pacific region is one of the fastest-growing regional markets. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25.8% from 2020 to 2027. Also, this report mentions India, where it says it will witness significant growth in the number of SMBs. And this will push the demand for virtual events in the country.
But the story does not end here. Organisers face various obstacles while hosting a virtual event. These obstacles pose a significant challenge to the growth of virtual events in the country. Let us look at some of these obstacles.
Solutions of obstacles in organising a virtual event
Absence of experience
Unlike few professional event organisers, many people are not familiar with virtual events. And this can be credited to the lack of knowledge of the required technology. One of the biggest consumers of virtual events is Academic institutes. And the teachers are the ones who use virtual events to deliver lectures.
But lack of knowledge is a principal hurdle for them. In fact, many teachers struggle to host a zoom session for the online class. So hosting an online session on a virtual event platform would not be easy for them. They need a detailed tutorial for using virtual event platforms.
Not only teachers but students also face this hurdle. So a proper tutorial is required for both of these groups. This tutorial needs to be in easy to understand, regional language and in video format.
Lack of proper technology
Another significant challenge is the availability of proper technology and equipment. It is easy to arrange equipment like webcam, WiFi connection and virtual event platform in the metropolitan area. But what about tier2 or tier3 cities or the rural area. Many of these areas lack stable internet providers. And the residents are not aware of the concept of virtual events. And even if they know the virtual event. They do not know how to get the right virtual event platform or software. These issues are needed to be addressed to enable the growth of virtual events in these areas.
Engagement Option
A human mind can focus on one for a limited time only. And this time limit further shrinks when it comes to virtual mediums. And this is also true for the virtual event. That is why you are advised to engage the audience at your event. Otherwise, the audience might get distracted and will leave the event. But many people do not know how to engage the audience in online events. And this reason prevents them from organising frequent virtual events.
Sometimes, people select a virtual event platform that does not offer many features for engaging the audience. And in that situation, they do not know what to do. But the solution is simple. While selecting a virtual event platform, look for audience engagement features. These features can be gamification, leaderboard, social wall and AR photobooth etc. Try to get the maximum number of features to engage the audience at your virtual event.
Networking opportunity
Many people look for the possibility to expand their network and form new contacts. And for this, they try to attend different and multiple events. However, this is also valid for virtual events. In fact, the attendees’ hope for finding a new person increases with virtual events. But many people are not aware of this thing. As a result, they do not focus on networking tools. And they miss lots of attendees for this single reason.
This acts as an obstacle to the growth of virtual events. But this can be easily overcome by generating networking opportunities using dedicated tools. Ask for tools like AI Matchmaking, Networking tables and 2-way interaction from the platform service provider. These tools will facilitate networking. And help people in connecting right contact.
Compelling content
Often people make mistakes while choosing the words to introduce their event. They use language that does not create hype for their event. And they fail to attract the attention of the people. And this can act against virtual events. So what can be done here? The need is for the content that supports your virtual event.
Remember, use content that can excite people about your virtual event. And will compel them to take action, which is checking about your event. For this, you can look at your competitors how they are writing about their event. This will give you an idea about what type of content works. So, produce great content and grab people’s attention.
Promoting a virtual event
Many people find it challenging to promote a virtual event. And this is also one of the reasons for them to stay clear from the virtual event. However, there is a solution to this challenge also. The best way to market anything is to use social media. And apart from great content, you need an effective strategy to reach as many as people you want. So look for the latest trends on social media, use them to viral your content. And hence attracting thousands of people to your event.
The demand for virtual events in India is high. And this is going to increase in future. But to make it popular among the masses, these stated obstacles are needed to be overcome.
We hope this article proved helpful. So share your thoughts about virtual events.
